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Travel guide
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to September
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Welcome
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in a few days
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie runs on its sardine port, where boats land Label Rouge sardines a few steps from the beaches. To the north lies the rocky Corniche Vendéenne, to the south the surf of La Sauzaie at Brétignolles, and inland the Brem vineyards, Lac du Jaunay and the Marais Breton.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Saint-Gilles fishing port free · about 1 hOn both banks of the Vie, which divided two towns until they merged in 1967, where boats land Label Rouge sardines in the late morning.
- Afternoon · Maison du Pêcheur · about 1 hA 1920s fisherman's cottage on Rue du Maroc, restored in 1993, whose two rooms and small yard show everyday life in a seafaring family.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Le Ceïtya€130 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Grande Plage free · 2 to 3 hFine sand south of the Vie estuary, with a seafront promenade for walking or cycling, a gentle slope into the water and lifeguards in summer.
- Afternoon · Corniche Vendéenne free · about 1 h 30One of the rare rocky stretches of this sandy coast, between Saint-Gilles and Sion-sur-l'Océan, where a path follows low cliffs, coves and tumbled rocks.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Ibis Styles Saint Gilles Croix de Vie€115 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · La Sauzaie beach free · 2 to 3 hAt Brétignolles-sur-Mer, one of the best-known surf spots on the Atlantic coast north of the Gironde, with waves breaking over a rock reef.
- Afternoon · Brem-sur-Mer vineyards free · about 1 hOne of the five named areas of the Fiefs Vendéens appellation, recognised in 2011, making Chenin and Grolleau Gris whites, rosés and light reds.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Vent d'Eden Park€120 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Lac du Jaunay free · half a dayA reservoir inland near Landevieille, surrounded by woods and meadows, with a waymarked path around the water, freshwater fishing and paddling between the inlets.
- Afternoon · Écomusée du Daviaud · 2 to 3 hOpened in 1982 at La Barre-de-Monts, it tells the story of the Marais Breton through a working salt marsh, thatched earth cottages and wetland trails.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Le Ceïtya€130 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €95 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to September
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/saint-gilles-croix-de-vie
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.